(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education met during a regular session Wednesday evening, during which they held public hearings on the proposed 2022-23 School Calendar and the High School south parking lot and driveway improvement project.

With regard to the parking lot, the Board approved a low bid of $429, 733 from United Construction Services Corp. of Atlantic. The offer was more than $66,000 under the engineer’s projected cost estimate. Construction is set to begin after school lets out this Spring, with a proposed completion date of August 12, weather permitting.

The School Board approved the 2022-2023 school calendar, as presented. As per State law, the first day of school in August will be on the 23rd. The last day is May 25, 2023. The calendar also includes a winter break from December 22 to January 2, five days of spring break-March 20 to March 24, with the last day of school on May 25th.

In his report to the Board, Superintendent Steve Barber said the Middle School reconstruction project continues to progress at a good rate. The only supplies they are waiting for, he said, was replacement heat pumps, and they have since all arrived on site. Mr. Barber said that means the project will not be held-up by supply chain issues, as some had feared.

He said there are some hurdles to overcome, though, with regard to progress pertaining to the District’s outdoor facilities, including making sure dormant seeding planted in November meets the performance standard outlined in the specifications, and they are watching an area of the sidewalk around the Trojan Bowl, to ensure it is not settling to a point where water would start flowing the wrong way. Each of the three facilities, Barber said, have reached substantial completion, so they can be used by students and the community.

In other business, the Board set April 13th as the date for a public hearing on the amended 2021-2022 Budget (Here is School Business Official Sarah Sheeder’s FY23 Budget Presentation) and proposed 2022-2023 accredited budget. The proposal for the fiscal year 2023 budget reduces the tax levy from $13.95 per one thousand dollars of valuation the previous year to $13.25 per thousand dollars of valuation for the next fiscal year. The Board’s decision to lower the tax levy is to offset the financial impact to property taxpayers due to the 7.09 percent increase in property valuations.

The Atlantic School Board approved a three-percent salary increase for the central office staff, technology,  directors, principals, and school business officials, and they agreed to provide each social worker with a salary increase of $6,100, for a total of $21,427.

In addition, the Board agreed to pay the increase in health insurance, in order to keep the premium the same for the employees.